The body surface distribution of the QT interval in patients with previous myocardial infarction and normal subjects.

Abstract

In spite of the clinical importance of the QT interval, its body surface distribution is still unclear. To determine the spatial distribution of the QT interval, we studied 20 normal subjects and 45 patients with previous myocardial infarction (25, anterior; 20, infero-posterior). Unipolar electrocardiograms were recorded from 87 torso sites. The QT interval in each lead was determined semi-automatically. In normal subjects, the longer QT intervals were located on the left anterior chest and the right shoulder portion. And, the relatively shorter QT intervals were shown on the right inferior chest. In the anterior MI group, the remarkably longer QT intervals were located on the left anterior chest. In the infero-posterior MI group, the longer QT intervals were found on the left lateral and back. In both MI groups, the sites of longer QT intervals corresponded to the sites of infarcted area. In the aneurysm (+) subgroup of the anterior MI group, the remarkably longer QT intervals could be found on the left anterior chest, while in the aneurysm (-) subgroup, these characteristic patterns could not be recognized. Our data suggest that QT intervals are not equal on a torso. In patients with myocardial infarction, the sites of prolonged QT intervals corresponded to the sites of infarcted area. The QT interval was thought to have some bearing on the abnormal repolarization of the residual myocardium in the infarcted area.